This invention has been brought about by an obvious need to enhance the effectiveness of the individual soldier when he finds himself facing overwhelming odds in relation to manpower and close quarters fighting.
The unusual tactics involved in limited warfare, more often than not, finds United States forces in the situation described above. It is, therefore, most urgent that the fighting man have more effective weapons and an increased delivery means available.
The presently used automatic rifle and machine guns along with hand grenades and mortars and other such infantry weapons are effective only if they can be brought to bear on the enemy in a timely manner.
The weapons system described hereinafter makes it possible to bring to bear a variety of weapons in a matter of moments as the situation changes.
This weapon is also ruggedized and designed to withstand the most severe environment including being water-tight for submergence in the water for long periods.
A search of the literature of superimposed charges and Roman candle type firemarms reveals that, despite being a perennial favorite of weapons inventors who almost from the beginning of the firearms era in the early Fourteenth century recognized the awesome inherent firepower potential, they had virtually disappeared from military and sporting fields by the 1860's being replaced by the metallic self-contained cartridge type weapons.
The reasons were many. From the outset the multiple superimposed charge weapon was prone to premature ignition of unfired charges by gas leakage around the balls and from the compaction of unfired propellant by the rearward pressure developed during the firing of previous rounds.